Zechariah is an often-overlooked book in the Old Testament, and yet it is extremely relevant to the events of today.  Why? Because the eight visions of chapter one to six shed light on the meanings of the symbols found in the book of Revelation.  Because the messages are for a people who are coming out of a past of sin and rebellion against God and into a life of loyalty.  Because it is written for a people who are attempting to accomplish God’s work in a hostile environment, which is relevant for Christians in all ages.  Because like Joshua, we are clothed in filthy rags of sin; like Zerubbabel, we are discouraged and can forget the power of the Spirit in our lives; and because like Zechariah, we are dealing with negative people who need to be reminded that there is more to life than the frustration, fear, and anger that surrounds us on every side.

What makes Zechariah so special?  It is part of a larger group of books that interact with it.  Zechariah provides a larger spiritual dimension to the history found in Nehemiah and Ezra.  Haggai was a prophet speaking for God to the same people as Zechariah.  Read together with the book of Zechariah, the short book of Haggai gains more depth.  Zechariah’s prophecies also enlarge our understanding of books like Daniel and Revelation.  According to one commentator, “it can be said that Zechariah and Daniel are the Old Testament equivalents of what Revelation is to the New Testament.  One may imagine the prophet Zechariah standing between the prophet Daniel and the apostle John with extended arms complementing and reinforcing their inspired messages” (Portraits of The Messiah in Zechariah by Philip G Samaan,p. 9).  Because of the need for historical context, I recommend that you read the book of Ezra to get an overview of the events that were happening at that time before attempting to understand the book of Zechariah.

The book of Zechariah is divided into two sections.  The first section contains a series of eight symbol-filled visions given to encourage and guide the returning exiles as they rebuilt the temple to Yahweh after the Babylonian captivity.  The second section contains narratives and counsels without all the symbolism that can be comprehended with less digging (although there are still plenty of issues that cause difficulties in understanding).  Part 1 of Background Knowledge for Zechariah deals with the first eight visions.  Part 2 will deal with understanding the second half of the book of Zechariah.

Background Information:

The Babylonians had invaded Palestine three times (605, 597, 586 B.C.) taking various groups of Israelites captive and finally destroying the Temple.

During Zechariah’s time, God’s people were ruled by the Persians who were more merciful than the Babylonians to subject nations. However, the ethnic groups of people surrounding the area of Jerusalem were trying to prevent the restoration that God had moved Cyrus the Great to decree.

About three years after the fall of Babylon, a group of Jews returned to Jerusalem with the intent to rebuild the temple and the city.  However, they faced resistance from the surrounding people (Samaritans) when they rejected any non-Jewish help in rebuilding the temple. Because of the setbacks that they had encountered during this time, they had become discouraged and stopped working on the temple.  Instead, they focused on rebuilding their own homes.

God raised up two prophets at this time to encourage the people to finish building the temple:  Haggai and Zechariah.  At the same time, God placed Zerubbabel as governor of the province and Jeshua/Joshua became the first high priest after the exile.  These four men worked together to lead in the building of the second temple in Jerusalem.

During this time, Zechariah received a series of eight visions (Zechariah 1:7-6:8).  Although they are separate visions, they go together to present the purpose of God for the Jews from that time until the Messiah came and then to the establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom.

Zechariah was given this series of visions at a time of great discouragement, when it seemed that the enemies of God’s people were about to bring the work of restoration to a complete stop.  A past king had already ordered the work stopped because of the influence of the Samaritans.  The people had finally started rebuilding again through the influence of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, and Zechariah.  A message had been sent to King Darius to ask if this work had his permission, and the answer had not yet returned.  The people needed a message from God to encourage them, so God sent these visions to Zechariah.

Vision 1:  Zechariah 1:7-17  Horses of a Different Color

It was nighttime and a man riding a red horse came into a small area of myrtle trees. There were other horses behind him.  The horses were of different colors.  There were red, sorrel, and white horses.  There are three characters in this vision.  The man in the myrtle trees is thought by many commentators to be Jesus.  The LORD is the Father.  In addition, there is an angel who speaks with Zechariah during his visions.

The theme is that Jesus is with his people standing in the middle of them.  The messengers report that things are going according to God’s plan.  In other words, the opposition to the temple has been put down.  Then Jesus asks the Father to reveal His plans to Zechariah.  The Father says that He is no longer angry with His people, but He is angry with the pagan nations who have tried to keep the Jews in permanent exile instead of letting them return and rebuild the temple.  The Father says that the temple will be rebuilt, and God will be with His people there.  The temple will be a standard for the surrounding nations, and Jerusalem will prosper.

Symbols in Zechariah’s vision:

• The myrtle trees—Trees are used frequently in the Old Testament to represent kings and peoples.  Here the myrtle trees represent the people of Israel
• The horses—Messengers of God who patrol the earth.  This symbol shows that God knows what is going on in every corner of the world.
• The measuring Line—This was a tool used in construction and represents the rebuilding of the temple.  Also, it is a standard used for comparison, i.e. judgment.

Symbols Used in Revelation:

• Horseman messengers
• Measuring Line
• Jesus standing among His people (seven candlesticks)

Message to the People of Zechariah’s Day:

God is in control and has smoothed the path for them.  They can go forward with doing the work of rebuilding the temple without worrying about interference.  God will stop the powers who think that they can prevent His plans from going forward.

Message to Us Today:

God has the same ability to control political powers and push forward His plans today.  We might not see them, but those horsemen are still patrolling the earth and furthering God’s agenda.  We can go forward with the work that God has called us to perform without worrying.

Vision 2:  Zechariah 1:18-21  Workmen Chasing Horns

There are four horns.  These could be horns of animals.  One source suggests that they are horns of an altar.  In general, horns represent powers and governments in the Bible.  Here the horns represent the forces that have attempted to keep the Jews in exile and stopped them from building the temple.

Four workmen come and chase away the horns.  In other words, the four workmen terrify the powers that want to scatter the Jews.  Four is a symbol of the whole earth (four directions: North, South, East, and West), so the four horns came from all around Judea and the four workmen can chase them back to where they came from and away from Judea.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision

• Four Horns:  The horns are the political powers that have worked to stop the rebuilding of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
• Four Workmen:  The workmen are the former exiles who are working to rebuild the temple at this time.

Symbols in Revelation and Daniel:

Horns

Message to the People of Zechariah’s Day:

Why use the symbol for workers and tools scaring off the powers of nations?  Because God was saying that the workers on the temple had the power to stand up to kings and governors and soldiers.  God was saying to get to work on the temple, and that very act would terrify the powers.  He was telling the workers to stop being scared and intimidated.  They had the power to stand up to the world’s political and military forces by using their tools to continue building the temple.  To the workers’ sight, they were weak, and their military enemies were powerful, but in God’s eyes, the workers had the power to terrify their enemies, simply by building the temple.

Message to Us Today:

We do not need to react to force with force.  By following God’s instructions to us, we are fighting a battle as soldiers for God.  Every time we have community outreach or give a Bible study or encourage someone or show Jesus’ love to the world in any way, we have the power to chase off our enemies.  As workmen rather than soldiers, we have the power to intimidate and drive away the mighty powers that oppose us.  We fight by loving and serving God and each other, not with military force.

Vision 3:  Zechariah 2:1-13  Measuring Jerusalem

A man is going to measure Jerusalem.  An angel tells him not to limit the size because Jerusalem is going to be greater than it ever was before.

There is a call for the people of Israel to flee from their exile homes in Babylon under the rule of Medo-Persia.  They are given a promise that God will be with them living in the temple, and they will be protected because they are precious to God.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision:

• A measuring line—A symbol of construction and judgment
• The four winds of heaven—All the parts of the world, i.e., north, south, east, and west
• The land of the North—Babylon and its former territories

Symbols in Revelation:

• Measuring line
• Jerusalem as a great city
• The Lord is the glory in the middle of Jerusalem
• Fleeing from the Land of the North (Babylon)

Message to the People of Zechariah’s Day:

God was telling His people that they needed to leave their exile and return and be His people.  They had hated to go into exile, but after being in exile for a couple of generations, many of them hated to return to the desolate, barren area that Jerusalem had become after its destruction by Babylon.  The exiles were enjoying their comfort as a captive people more than they desired to endure the hardships of regaining their freedom as the people of Yahweh.  However, they were in constant danger living in captivity, even if they did not know it.  The story of Esther is an example of how easily it would have been for the Jews to be wiped out if God had not intervened by placing her as a savior in the right place at the right time.  God was watching out for His people in captivity, but now God was calling them to come out and saying that He was not going to intervene like he had in the past.  Instead, He was going to let the exiles suffer under the oppression of others if they remained. 

Message for Us Today:

God is again calling His people out of Babylon, but many of us linger there still.  Some are lingering in the mixture of truth and error that is a legacy of the apostasy of the Medieval church, but others with access to Bible truth still insist on mixing it with the errors of the secular world today.  God is calling us to learn from Him and come to Him totally, not just in part.  We must stop having one foot in God’s camp and one in the world.  God promises to live in us if we give Him our allegiance.  Then people will be coming to us to learn about the God we serve.  We are God’s Beloved.

Vision 4:  Zechariah 3:1-10 Filthy Rags on the High Priest

As high priest, Joshua represented the people of Israel.  Their sins were his sins as their representative.  Satan was accusing the Jews of being unworthy of the honor that God was giving them.  Satan was right; they did not deserve the honor, but it did not matter.  God rejected Satan’s accusations and said that He had chosen them and taken them out of the fire.

Then Joshua’s filthy rags are replaced with a pure robe.  At Zechariah’s suggestion a new turban was placed upon Joshua’s head.  Joshua is promised that if He walks in God’s ways, he will have the right to come before God as the people’s representative.

Then the prophecy turns Messianic speaking of the Branch who was to come.  A stone with seven eyes is set before Joshua the high priest.  The iniquity of the land will be removed in one day.  That day will be a day of peace.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision: :

• Filthy Rags—The sins of the people
• Turban—The high priest’s turban had the words “Holiness to the Lord” on it.  This symbolized making Joshua holy and belonging to God again.
• Judgment in the court—We are all accused by Satan, and Jesus defends us.
• The Branch and the Stone—Jesus
• The Seven Eyes—The Holy Spirit / God’s ability to see all
• The Vine and the Fig Tree—A symbol of peace, security, joy, and prosperity

Symbols in Revelation:

• New Garments
• High Priest
• Inscriptions/Names written
• Seven eyes/seven spirits
• Also, Hebrews takes a lot from Zechariah.

Message to the People of Zechariah’s Day:

• They had been sent to exile because of their sins, but now they were once more God’s chosen people.  Joshua was approved as their high priest, who would be their representative before God. 
• Joshua was a type of the high priest who would someday represent the people of Israel.  It is interesting that Jesus and Joshua are actually the same name.

Message for Us Today:

• We were clothed in filthy rags and accused by Satan, but Jesus rescued us and clothed us in His righteousness.  We deserved our position, yet God did not leave us there.  He rebuked Satan and cleaned us up and made us His.
• We have the promise of a future where there will be no more brokenness and pain.  The sin of our world has been removed, and we can choose to follow Jesus into a new world of loving interactions with each other.

Vision 5:  Zechariah 4:1-14 The Two Trees and the Lampstand

In the vision, Zechariah sees a lampstand with seven oil lamps on it.  They are being filled with oil directly from two olive trees.  When Zechariah asks for the meaning of the vision, he is told that it is a message for Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel was the civil leader of the returning Jews appointed by King Darius I of Persia to be governor of the province.  Zerubbabel is to be given the message that mountains will become plains and that he will finish building the temple.

A major theme of this vision is that the work will be accomplished through God’s Spirit rather than through human power.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision: :

• A lampstand with seven oil lamps on it—These oil lamps have multiple related meanings in the Bible.  Essentially, the lampstand is God’s presence in human affairs.  Ultimately, Jesus is the light, but He also says that we are the light when we are filled with His Spirit, which also means that God’s church is the light.
• Two olive trees—These represent the Holy Spirit filling the lampstand.
• A plumb line—This is a construction tool that represents building the temple, but it also represents judgment since it is a measure of how something (or someone) ought to be constructed.

Symbols in Revelation:

• Seven gold lampstands
• Two witnesses
• Two olive trees and two lampstands
• Measuring rod

Message for the People of Zechariah’s Day:

• The vision before this confirmed the religious leader; now this vision confirms the political leader in his post.  The purpose of this vision is to create support for Zerubbabel among the people and to give him encouragement to continue leading in the building of the temple. 
• God promises that the mountains of difficulties (including political enemies who might physically stop the Jews with military power) will be flattened through the power of the Lord. 
• God promises that the temple will be completed during Zerubbabel’s tenure as leader.  God tells the people and Zerubbabel that construction will continue and that although the returned exiles might appear small and defenseless, they will succeed.

Message for Us Today:

We may have mountains of difficulties that we cannot seem to overcome, but God can make a path for us to go forward and succeed when we are working for Him.  However, we have to keep going forward doing the work that He has given us in faith that God will take care of the obstacles that we face.  This is not promising personal prosperity.  This is about accomplishing the work that God has put before us.

Vision 6:  Zechariah 5:1-4 The Flying Scroll

In the vision, Zechariah sees a flying scroll with writing on both sides.  It is a big scroll measuring about seventeen feet by thirty-five feet.  One significance of being able to measure it is to show that the scroll is open rather than rolled up.  It is interesting that these are the same dimensions as the holy place of Moses’ tabernacle and of the porch of Solomon’s temple.  There may be no relationship between these symbols.  On the other hand, sharing dimensions with the tabernacle may indicate that the contents of the scroll could be the ten commandments.  In either case, the large dimensions may be because this is an extensive curse which covers the whole land.  The scroll enters the house of the thief and the one who bears false witness in God’s name and cleans it out/consumes it.

While visions one to five were affirmations of the work that the returning Jews were doing, vision six is a warning to act with integrity.  The scroll is identified as a curse from God for those who swear falsely and those who steal.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision: :

• A flying scroll—This scroll contains the standard by which the people will be judged.
• Dimensions of Moses’ Tabernacle-This may indicate a relationship to the Ten Commandments.  Its large size also indicates the importance of the message.
• The houses of the thief and the liar—Our homes are the places where we are safe and secure.  This symbol represents the innermost self of the people.  They will be cleansed from their insides and not just outward appearance.

Symbols in Revelation:

• A scroll that is written on both sides with seven seals
• A little scroll that is eaten

Message for the People of Zechariah’s Day:

• Some commentaries view these visions as a renewal of God’s covenant with His people after the exile.  Visions one to five would represent covenant blessings while vision six is a covenant cursing. 
• The returning Jews are being told that God is not just concerned with rebuilding the temple.  God is warning them that their own homes are an issue also.  Public worship is important, but the individual characters of people are also important, and God wants to cleanse His people from unrighteousness.

Message for Us Today:

• God is not only focused on our public worship; He is also deeply concerned about our personal relational integrity with Himself and with other people. 
• God does not view sinful behavior, such as theft and bearing false witness lightly.  Instead, He considers our individual transformation into new creatures as a large important message, not a small trivial afterthought.  God is intensely involved with cleansing us from all of our unrighteousness.  

Vision 7:  Zechariah 5:5-11 A Woman in a Basket

In the vision, Zechariah sees a basket with a woman in it.  He is told that the woman represents wickedness.  The angel puts a leaden weighted lid on it so that the woman cannot escape.  Then two women with stork’s wings carry the basket to Shinar where a place has been prepared for it. 

The theme here is a continuation of the message of the last vision.  Iniquity is to be cleansed from God’s people and removed far away.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision:

• A basket containing a woman—The woman is identified as the wickedness of the land.  Women are symbols of the people of God, so this symbol is saying that their identity as a wicked woman/harlot/unfaithful wife is to be ejected from the land.  This will no longer be the symbol for God’s people.
• Two women with storks’ wings—God’s people are to eject all wickedness from their lives and leave the idolatrous world behind where it belongs.  God will provide His people with wings when they are needed to do the job given them, in this case, to transport wickedness far away from His people.
• A house in Shinar—Wickedness belongs in Babylon, not in the promised land. 

Symbols in Revelation:

• A Wicked Woman/Harlot
• A Woman given Wings
• Babylon (Shinar)

Message for the People of Zechariah’s Day:

• Shinar is another name for Babylon, so the people are being told to leave any of the wickedness that they picked up as exiles back in Babylon.  They are to live as God’s people now that they have returned to the promised land.
• The people of God need to be pure and loyal to God alone rather than harlots who serve other gods.  The Jews were to reject their old ways from before the exile and cling to serving God as they were originally intended to do when they came out of Egypt.

Message for Us Today:

• Too often today, we let the sins of our past out of the basket and back into our lives.  We need to let God shut the lid firmly on these sins and take them far away from us.  Other people do not want to even put their sins in the basket to begin with.  They have that one cherished sin that they refuse to let go of.  Wickedness is not something to play with.  We need to get rid of it before it taints us and separates us from God.
• Jesus promises to transform us into new creatures if we let Him.  He will not force us, but if we give our loyalty to Him, He will work in us to remove all evil and create loving humans who interact with each other with integrity and joy.

Vision 8:  Zechariah 6:1-8 The Four Chariots

In the vision, Zechariah sees four chariots come out from between two mountains.  Each chariot is pulled by multiple strong horses (at least two) of the same color.  There are red, black, white, and dappled horses.  They are patrolling the earth on missions from God.  The chariots with black horses and white horses go towards the north while the chariot with dappled horse goes towards the south.  We are not told where the chariot with red horses is traveling to.  The message is given that the chariots that have gone north have set God’s Spirit at rest there.

The theme is that God is involved in the events of the world and is working towards the fulfillment of His plans. Both Babylon and Medo-Persia are represented as being to the north in the Bible.  In this instance, Medo-Persia had already conquered Babylon, so this indicates interaction with Medo-Persia.  The south is probably Egypt.  The message for Zechariah’s people was that the Persian king was resisting God’s desires, but God was sending His representatives with double strength to overcome that resistance.  This vision took place shortly before the events of Ezra 6 where a Persian king had previously ordered that work be stopped in Jerusalem.  At this point, King Darius ordered a search of the records, found Cyrus’ decree for Jerusalem to be rebuilt and gave permission for the Jews to rebuild the temple.

Symbols in Zechariah’s Vision:

• Chariots with horses of red, black, white, and dappled—These horses are the same color as the horses in the earlier vision (dappled and sorrel may be the same), showing a continuity of message.  Chariots and horses are symbols of war in the Bible.  In the earlier vision, the horses were mere messengers, but in this vision, a war is in progress.  These chariots are patrolling and on missions.  God is in the world fighting for His people.
• Mountains of bronze— Mountains can represent governments.  A mountain is most commonly represented as the home of God in the Bible, which I believe is the case here.  I have not yet established the meaning of saying that they are made of bronze.  It may have something to do with the martial theme, but I need to study more.
• Four winds of heaven—This represents the whole earth

Symbols in Revelation:

• Four horses of similar color (The colors may actually be identical.  There is some confusion about the translation of dappled and pale.  The words may actually be describing the same-colored horses)
• Four corners of the earth/Four winds of the earth

Message for the People of Zechariah’s Day:

• There had been many obstacles to the rebuilding of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, but if God’s people remain true to Him, He will fight for them and overcome the resistance of even the kings of Persia.
• Stop worrying and get to work on the temple.  They have a God who answers prayers and has the resources to go head-to-head with their enemies.

Message for Us Today:

• Our God fights for us!
• It is possible for humans to resist God because He always allows us freedom of choice, but when it comes to answering prayers, God will go to war and fight for His people.  He will find a way to bring His plans to fulfillment. 
• We need to wait for God to bring His plans to fulfillment, but we also need to go forward with the work that He has given us to do as we wait.  Just as the Jews were to keep working even when they were opposed, we are to keep going forward in the work that God has given us even when the situation seems impossible.  We must go forward in the faith that God is working in ways that we cannot presently see in order to bring us victory.
• We are not alone struggling against superior powers.  We have a powerful advocate, who loves us and has the resources to face down the mightiest of foes.

Conclusion:

The first vision was of the horsemen patrolling the earth.  It was to show that God had control of the powers of the earth and would not let them interfere.  The second vision was of the horns and the workmen. It was to show that if the people kept working on the temple, they would send the powers that threatened them running.  The third vision is of the young man with a plumb line who is warned not to limit the capacity of Jerusalem.  It was to show that the people’s vision of what they were doing was too small, and they needed to have a broader and higher idea about what they were doing.  The fourth vision was of Joshua’s filthy garments and the courtroom.  It was to show that Israel had been judged and forgiven and could start anew.  The fifth vision was of the lampstands.  Its purpose was to confirm the civil leadership of the Jews and to promise that their task would be completed in a timely manner.  The sixth vision was a warning that each person needed to be cleansed from unrighteousness.  The seventh vision was a promise that God would give them the power to send wickedness far from their hearts.  The final vision was to reassure the people that God was fighting for them, so they did not need to worry.  Instead, they needed to continue doing the work that they had been given.

Zechariah is a book full of meaning and spiritual lessons for us today.  We should be studying it with the same intensity that we do other parts of the Bible.  It has parallels for our time.

• It is a message of reformation from apostasy, just as we are in the end process of reformation from the apostasy of the Medieval church. 
• This is a warning to us today.  It is a picture of the promises of God and how to receive those promises, and how if God’s people refuse to honor the requirements for the fulfillment of the promises, the promises will be given to another. God will raise up a people who will remain loyal to Him and complete the work.
• It is a beautiful picture of Jesus and how much He loves us.

Resources:

• Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 4
• 1989 Sabbath School Quarterly:  Visions of Victory
• Portraits of The Messiah in Zechariah  by Philip G Samaan
• “Zechariah’s Flying Scroll and Revelation’s Unsealed Scroll” by William H. Shea  (Taken from Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 14/2 (Fall 2003): 95—99)